DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Senior Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) totaled 25 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks to lead Daemen College to a 90-80 victory over Mercy College here today in men's basketball action.

Daemen, which is ranked seventh in the latest D2SIDA Division II East Region poll, improved to 11-4 overall and moved into a first-pace tie with the University of Bridgeport atop the ECC standings at 6-1. The Wildcats are now 41-2 since the start of the 2009-10 season when they score 90 or more points. Mercy suffered its third-straight loss and dropped to 6-7 overall and 1-6 in the league.

Beverly connected on 7-of-11 shots and 11-of-12 free throws en route to his fifth-straight double-double. It marked the 11th double-double of the season (and 38th of his career) for Beverly, who also scored in double figures for the 45th-straight game.

Beverly was one of four Daemen players to score in double figures. Junior Torrence Dyck, Jr. (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) netted 18 points and also grabbed nine rebounds, while senior Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) canned three three-pointers and totaled 14 points and seven rebounds. Senior Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis) also drilled three triples and contributed 13 points off the bench. Clifford has now scored in double figures in five-straight games. Freshman Nick Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y/Thomasville Prep) once again filled in at point guard for the injured Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge). Petrucelli played 32 minutes and contributed four points and a team-high six assists.

Sophomore Najee Senior (Bronx, N.Y.) went 3-for-5 from three-point land for Mercy and finished with a team-high 17 points off the bench.

The teams traded baskets for the first five minutes and Daemen held an 11-10 lead when the Wildcats scraped together a 10-3 run. A three-pointer by Clifford with 11:16 left in the half capped the run and gave the visitors a 21-13 lead. Daemen was unable to build on the momentum and managed to score just six points over the next five minutes. Mercy countered with 14 points and the game was tied at 27-27 with just over five minutes left in the half. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half and Mercy took a 42-41 lead into intermission.

Daemen held a 47-46 lead four minutes into the second half when the Wildcats took control with a 14-1 run. Beverly scored eight points during the run, and two free throws by Beverly with 13:23 left to play capped the run and gave the Wildcats a 61-47 lead. The visitors later took a 17-point lead, 71-54, following a three-pointer by sophomore Jesse Lalka (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) with 8:19 left. Mercy rallied behind a 12-5 run that cut the lead to 10 points, 76-66, but the Wildcats scored the next five points and regained a 15-point lead, 81-66, following a three-point play by Beverly with 4:17 left.

Mercy had one last run and cut the lead to five, 83-78, after Senior drilled a three-pointer with just over two minutes left. Beverly then scored just before the shot clock expired at the other end, and Beverly then rejected a shot on Mercy's next possession and the Wildcats were awarded the ball after the ball went off a Mercy player and out of bounds. Daemen turned the ball over on its next possession, but Beverly collected the rebound following a missed three-pointer by Mercy and fed Clifford for a layup that gave the Wildcats an 87-78 lead with 47 seconds left.

Daemen shot 51-percent (31-for-61) from the field and canned 19-of-29 free throws (including 11-of-14 in the second half). The Mavericks shot 57-percent (16-of-28) from the field in the first half, but connected on just 12-of-32 (38%) of their shots over the final 20 minutes. The Wildcats finished with a 41-30 advantage in rebounds and the visitors also posted a 44-32 edge in points in the paint.

Daemen returns to action Tuesday (Jan. 20) when it hosts long-time rival Roberts Wesleyan College in an ECC game at 6 p.m. It will mark the first of three-straight home games for Daemen, which also hosts LIU Post (Jan. 23) and New York Tech (Jan. 24) next weekend.

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